An Avalanche of Thoughts, Tidbits & Musings

The 2 goal quota was destroyed tonight. Kopitar murdered it single-handedly. Anybody else pissed off that this 6-0 shellacking wasn’t televised or streamed?

Playing Colorado 3 nights before Frozen Fury is confusing. It’s like putting the sex before foreplay. What’s the point?

Admit it, if you are going to Frozen Fury, there was a side of you before the game tonight that thought, “you know, I kind of hope the Kings lose tonight’s game so they will come out pissed off and motivated in Vegas and just destroy the Avalanche on Saturday…” Then, after the 6-0 whooping we handed them, you’re now a little worried about Saturday. You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking that.

If tonight was an aberration and the Kings’ scoring issues keep up once the season starts, how many games do you give Terry Murray before you demand his exodus? Don’t ask me that question because I made up my mind on July 17, 2008.

Last night, I tweeted “Is it going out on a limb to say Trent Hunter is getting a contract and Scott Parse is history? If so, I am on the limb.” You know, every once in a while, I write something semi-smart. At the risk of writing another one, Slava Voynov just made the team.

On the subject of Voynov, he must be under a ton of self applied pressure. He must feel like he has to meet a certain unsigned defenseman’s standard of play or otherwise be considered a failure. Pressure can be very positive especially for a talented young man who can use it for motivation or inspiration but it can also wear on you. I hope his teammates, coaches and Dean Lombardi have told him he should play his game, not somebody else’s. He put on an impressive 1 goal and 1 assist performance tonight and, from what Nick Nickson said, was damn good on both ends of the ice.

Have any of you ever been in the top 4 highest paid anything on a binational or national level? Even Philip Anschutz is only the 34th richest person in the United States. That means He Who Must Not Be Paid is greedier than Anschutz.

There is some irony to Brendan Shanahan being the Vice President of Player Safety and handing out these suspensions like they are racial or homophobic slurs. Shanny, though immensely talented and tough, was a fairly dirty player during his time. I figure if he can do well at this position, what prevents Sean Avery from one day heading the NHL’s department of Congenial Dialogue & Chivalry?

The difference between $7.5 million and $6.8 million is $700,000.00. $700,000.00 divided by 18,118 (a sellout at Staples Center) = $38.64, rounded up. That means if we can get 18,118 fans to chip in $38.64 per season (the price of two beers, peanuts and a hot dog at Staples) and do it for 5 seasons, we can bridge that gap and get a certain defenseman signed…that is right, Shea Weber.

He Who Must Not Be Paid’s issues aren’t just limited to he and Lombardi. Although the players will tell the media it’s just “business” and they don’t think about it, they do. It gets in the locker room. HWMNBP is not just any player. He is, next to Kopitar, the franchise. With young kids coming in to take his spot, loyalties to a teammate of 3 years can be tested and opinions that invariably get shared can sometimes clash. Tension sucks. Hopefully, the leadership is strong enough to keep everyone focused. Here is where the “character” of which Dean Lombardi speaks better come in handy.

Back to Scott Parse, I say he is going to be traded if he is not waived. Think Winnipeg, Ottawa or a similar team. What do you think?

In the time it takes a baseball batter to walk up to the plate, adjust himself, take a couple of practice swings, set up in his batting stance, stare down the pitcher and receive the first pitch, I can write three articles unfairly criticizing Terry Murray. Baseball may be the dullest sport on the planet.

Is having this many centers really a “good problem” to have? Isn’t it a little like having 5 supermodels but you only get to play with 4 and the young, hot, Russian one you really want you can’t have?

I realized today that in less than a week, I will have been a Kings’ fan for 31 years. I realized today I am getting old.

A young woman asked me recently why I love the Kings so much. I told her to look up the words Stockholm Syndrome.

The same day, a fellow fan asked if I had a choice between Terry Murray or Andy Murray coaching this team, who would I pick? I stared at him without expression for a few seconds and then walked away with a raspy & grumbling “fuck you.”

There was a gray Saab in front of me on the freeway with a license plate that read “Cupb4LA”. Our respective insurance companies are now communicating. Her bodily injury claims are greatly exaggerated.

Greene is slow, yes, but he does bring the Fred Shero-Bobby Clarke philosophy to the Philadelphia Kings — “Take the shortest path to the puck and arrive in ill humor.”

That I should say “Philadelphia” Kings!

The first Kings game I went to was a two-two tie with the then defending Cup champion Flyers. That game was the beginning of the eight-or-nine-year stretch when we couldn’t beat Philly no matter WHOM we put on the ice.

But God is kind to those who suffer patiently. I still have a tape (betamax) of the game where we ended the streak. And I was present at the Forum the night we did it at home.

What was I saying about Greene? . . . Don’t underestimate his value to the team. VV is brainy and swift of skate, but he can’t roar encouragement in the locker-room or pound Joe Thornton against the boards. For that you need bulk as well as talent.

Yeah I know he’s not a replacement, he’s a different kind of d-man. But he’s NHL quality and great value, and I think it would be a waste to stuff him back down to manchvegas. We could probably get something decent in a trade with Greene. Don’t get me wrong, I like Greene a lot. And don’t we have Terry Murray chomping at the bit anyways to put grit in the lineup over skill (see lokti)?

Meh, Kopitar isn’t the type of guy that would hold money against anyone. And they all belong to the same union. This isn’t a Barry Bonds situation with a jerkhole sitting in a locker room.

I think these guys are tight together, and this is a mountain/molehill thing.

As for Parse, those two teams are plausible. What about the Islanders? They could use a scoring winger to play with Comeau and Bailey. Would be ironic as the main option for there would have been Trent Hunter.

The only player who is underpaid is Brown, and by all accounts he’s a great leader and really doesn’t care a whole lot about money (he gives tons away). It’s not like Drew has missed any games or had any effect on this season yet. A vet? I could possibly see one giving Drew the business when he comes back, but I think all those players to a man know that Drew is a special player.

If I had to guess who you had in mind, I would guess JJ. Fiercely loyal guy, gym nut, and negotiated his own contract at a fair rate.

Yeah you are old, says the Kings fan for 40 year come February 20 (Kings beat the Bruins 5-4)
Now why are you thinking about winning the FF game? That game will take care of itself. The more pressing matter is Friday’s game. We can not let our want for a win to cap off a nice vacation, supersede the need for the Ducks to be crushed.

Sure would be nice to have our Russian Supermodel to play with this season. Lewis has proven himself to be a very very good 4rth line center and at least a capable 3rd line center as well.

Loktionov looks like he should be running the 2nd line but that isn’t going to happen. Give him Stolls job at the end of this season? Sure but then should we wait? Just saying. Stollie is a very very good face off man and nails on the shootout two very highly regarded skills.

Loktionov is a kid that oozes talent and I would be willing to bet that if he can remain healthy would be as good as Stoll on the shootout and maybe even so sweeping. Tuff call in some ways.

I don’t think that the girl with the “bcups” is gonna help force L.A. to win a cup. Was she a really good coach because everyone and everything in the universe knows we can use one of those.

Andy or Terry huh……… I would have thrown a banana at him. (knowing that if AM was our coach that the entire team would slip on it and be out for the season and with TM as coach he would try to convince it to play the 1-1-3 on the PP and then sit it for having a slippery attitude). In other words I agree.

Really nice win tonight. You guys go get em at the fury and post pictures. I expect you guys to stay out of trouble and when you see luc tell him some Guy says “La fois prochaine je paye le dîner n’importe ce que Stacia indique”.

On the question of how many games do I give TM to right the ship if it starts out listing? Can we use negative #’s? If I were King I would give him all the way through to November 11th and then politely ask him if I can give him a ride to the senior living facilities out there in Huntington Beach. What was it called? Leisure World? I have forgotten.

Good tidbits..I wstched Parse last year at Toyota..getting ready for his comback from injury..he was so focused ..intense. Then he was injured again. Sad whatever is going on with him.
Great for Kopi..what a goof boost for his self esteem ..even an elite like him needs that when coming off such a major injury. I want our hot young Russian damn it..he deserves a roster spot.
Captain Brown will provide leadership along with the other stand up men un the room. They will get thru the
HWSNBP phase just like we all will. Positive thoughts and belief in thid team